MVC Basketball

It's no secret that Mark Phelps and his staff at Drake University know how to bring in recruits. Next year's freshman class has already been ranked by No. 1 in the MVC by ESPN.

So it shouldn't surprise anybody to hear the Bulldogs have been heavily targeting another intriguing prospect.

Drake fans, meet 6-foot-7 (depending on who's measuring), 210-pound high school senior, Will Yeguete of Florida Air Academy.

Originally of France, Yeguete is a three-star recruit according to Scout.com and is the website's No. 44 small forward.

Yeguete helped Florida Air Academy to a 24-1 record last season. Over the summer, Yeguete played for Nike Team Florida.

During one afternoon in particular, Yeguette tallied 19 boards in roughly 12 minutes of play. His performance opened some influential eyes.

"He’s not the biggest guy on the blocks, but the lengthy 6-foot-6 power forward from Florida Air in Melbourne was a total beast on Saturday," writes Scout.com's Eric Bossi .

"Quick off the floor, determined and willing to bang, he’s deserving of much more recruiting attention than he’s received and could be a difference maker on the glass at the upper mid-major level."

Yeguete has drawn attention from large programs such as Virginia Tech, USC, Alabama and Auburn. Virginia Tech and Auburn have offered him scholarships, according to TheState.com . His only official visit (that seems to be confirmed, at least) has been to St. John's University.

As of late, however, it appears Yeguete has been more interested in mid-major programs.

Scout describes Yeguete as a "classic, undersized blue collar forward."

Scout also claims Yeguete is a "hard-nosed forward who relies on his motor skills for success."

The Bulldogs could benefit from a player of Yeguete's nature. He can rebound and is known for his hustle and toughness.

In other words, Yeguete could possibly plug the gaping hole that is Drake's rebounding weakness.

Even better, Yeguete seems to like what he sees in Drake, as Scout lists Drake as one of Yeguete's favorites.

The big forward was quoted by Florida Hoops Recruits as saying, "I want to go to a good school with good academics."

From firsthand experience, I can attest to the fact that Drake fits the bill.

He's also willing to travel. A good thing, too. Iowa's a bit of a trek from sunny Florida—more obviously so this time of year. 

"I am willing to go anywhere: distance is not a problem for me," Yeguete said. "I am looking for a place where I can get playing time early in my career."

Though forward is one of Drake's deepest positions, Yeguete would certainly get plenty of PT.

Drake needs a truly big presence down low and Yeguete could be the key to the Bulldogs making the jump from a young, inexperienced group of boys to a talented, Cinderella-type squad.

Rewind a couple of days to last Saturday night when the Drake Bulldogs came from behind to beat the Southern Illinois Salukis, 70-65.

Now, fast forward to last night.

The Drake Bulldogs hit 64 percent (14-of-22) of their three-point attempts to overcome a 13-3 Missouri State Bears squad in Des Moines, IA to notch their second straight victory, 88-77.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves, but one more win is a streak.

The win improved Drake to 7-11 and 2-4 in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Even though Missouri State took advantage of one of the Bulldogs' glaring weaknesses by dominating in the paint, 52-24, Adam Templeton led four Drake players in double-digits with 16 points to simply outscore the Bears.

Templeton, Ryan Wedel, and Josh Young combined for nine three-pointers. On the night, Wedel contributed 15 points and Young tallied 14.

Missouri State guard Nafis Ricks and center Caleb Patterson came off the bench and led all scorers with 17 points apiece.

However, Drake once again fell to an opponent in the rebounding category, 21-34.

But, hey, when you can drain your shots 60 percent of the time and your opponent can only hope to keep up with 46.8 percent—still a respectable figure—not much else matters, right?

As long as winning becomes a trend for the Bulldogs, they won't find many complaints.

Still, it wouldn't hurt to address these issues.

Coach Mark Phelps has maintained all season long that his team is learning and getting better. It's hard to argue that after the Bulldogs picked up wins over two always-tough MVC opponents.

Who would've thought we'd be talking of a possible winning streak in conference play?

To achieve that milestone, the Bulldogs will have to go through a 12-4 Illinois State Redbirds team that sits in third place in the MVC.

A win could prove the Bulldogs really can play with just about anyone in the MVC.

Perhaps they've already proven that.

When a team makes its living from behind the three-point line—as the Drake Bulldogs do—the game plan is quite simple: sink your shots.

The Bulldogs drained 9-of-17 three-pointers in the first half.

Drake followed up by only hitting 2-of-11 in the second half.

Add the fact that the Iowa Hawkeyes—Jarryd Cole in particular—allowed Drake to sniff out points in the paint only a couple times and you have the recipe for the Bulldogs coming up short in Iowa City, 71-67.

With the loss, the Bulldogs dropped below the .500 mark with a 5-6 record.

Several Bulldogs played admirably—freshman center Seth Van Deest led the 'Dogs with 15 points (12 in the second half) and guards Ryan Wedel and Craig Stanley each scored 11.

Noticeably cold for the night was Drake senior Josh Young. While Young rallied late in the game to secure a tally of 13 points, he missed many shots that are normally made with ease.

The Hawkeyes did well in exposing Drake's weakness.

In both appearance and physicality Iowa dwarfed the Bulldogs. Once again, when play got tough, Drake crumbled.

To the credit of the Bulldogs, Iowa was held without a basket for almost the final four minutes of the game, nearly allowing Drake to snatch the victory.

Tomorrow's Matchup

Though the Bulldogs are now 0-2 against in-state rivals, the team doesn't have time to dwell on the loss as they welcome its toughest non-conference opponent in San Diego State tomorrow night for the MVC-Mountain West Challenge.

The good news is the Bulldogs are 22-16 against Mountain West opponents and 4-2 against San Diego State, historically.

The bad news?

The Aztecs return two starters from last year's 26-10 team that reached the NIT semifinals and are currently 8-3 with notable victories over Saint Mary's, Pacific, and Arizona State.

What are the keys to securing a Drake upset over the Aztecs?

1. The Bulldogs need to see more of their balanced attack offense. Ryan Wedel, Ben Simons, Adam Templeton, and Josh Young have all shown they can rack up the points for the Bulldogs. More all-around production will be needed.
   
2. Be aggressive (B-E aggressive!). Drake tends to over-rely on its distance shooting. While excellent, it doesn't tend to win games especially when the other team can match the performance shot-for-shot. Let Van Deest show the Aztecs why he's going to be a force for years to come for the Bulldogs.
   
3. D-D-D, Defense! It isn't one of Drake's strengths but the Bulldogs can't afford to get in a shootout with the Aztecs. Head Coach Mark Phelps needs to draw up a plan that will allow the Bulldogs to come up with some big stops.
4. Get Josh Young the ball. Even when struggling, he is the best player on the team. Let him do his thing. 

Sound simple? That's because it is.

The Bulldogs don't need a miracle offensive makeover to reach the next level of performance. While a few tweaks on defense could be beneficial, this team has the talent—and now some of the experience—it needs to keep up with older squads.

When a young squad such as the Drake University men's basketball team plays to its full potential and puts its talent on display, one is given a glimpse of where the program is headed.

By tromping the South Dakota Coyotes in the opening game of the Drake Invitational, 96-81, the Drake Bulldogs showed the program could return to the top of the MVC in the coming years.

The Bulldogs reached a season-high in total points behind a scalding 50 percent shooting mark.

The game may have also served as the turning point of a season that has thus far been disappointing. Drake's seniors gave fans reason to believe the Bulldogs may be getting over early growing pains, which will have to be worked out come Missouri Valley Conference play.

Senior guard Josh Young led the Bulldogs with a season-high 21 points, draining 4-of-5 three-pointers.

Young's now sits at 1,418 career points, becoming only the sixth player in Drake history to score 1,400 points in a career.

As a team, the Bulldogs shot a lights-out 53.8 percent from behind the arc.

Senior Adam Templeton recorded a double-double, adding a career-high 17 points and exerting himself as a force under the basket, grabbing 16 rebounds—the most for a Drake player since Jonathan Cox's 16 boards against Western Kentucky in the first round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament.

The Bulldogs profited from a well-balanced attack. Five players reached double-digits for the first time this season.

Freshman forward Ben Simons continued to show his ability to light it up from all areas of the floor. Last year's Michigan Mr. Basketball runner-up shot 70 percent, tallying 20 points for the Bulldogs.

Drake guard Ryan Wedel totaled 14 points and senior Craig Stanley came off the bench to add 13 points for the Bulldogs.

While at times it appeared the Bulldogs would have trouble putting away the Coyotes, back-to-back three-pointers by Simons and Templeton capped a 9-0 Bulldog run late in the game.

Drake's 89-77 lead forced South Dakota to begin fouling early with 1:35 left to play. The Bulldogs continued draining their shots, however, and the Coyotes were unable to lessen the gap.

Drake will face off against the Binghamton Bearcats tonight in Des Moines, as the 'Dogs try to even out the win/loss column and reach 5-5.

A win could give the Bulldogs some momentum heading into Iowa City to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes next Saturday.

The Drake Bulldogs are a perplexing squad to watch in action.

In Friday's game against Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, one minute they were up 20 points, the next they were left gasping for breath during a time out after the Cougars' forward Mark Yelovich nailed a three-pointer to bring his team within one point of Drake.

Yelovich would go on to score a game-high 24 points.

All the while, one of Drake's assistant coaches was handed duties of waking up the team.

Apparently, the Bulldogs still thought it was all just a bad dream.

The reality was SIUE taking it's first lead of the second half with 24.4 seconds left almost too easily as the lackluster Bulldogs skidded to their fifth loss of the season.

Where was the aggression, the passion, and the "100 percent reason to remember the name,"—as is stated in Drake's introduction jingle?

It was nowhere to be found.

If it makes the sting go away, SIUE went on to win the Drake-hosted Hy-Vee Classic, topping Texas-Arlington in the finals. That was the Cougars' second win of the season.

Does it feel better yet?

Here's a Band-Aid: The Bulldogs fell victim to a horrendous seven-minute 11-second scoring drought that allowed SIUE to gain control of the game and reach striking distance midway through the second half.

It didn't get any better as the end neared. Senior Craig Stanley missed a go-ahead lay up with 10.5 seconds left.

Oh, sorry, none of that helps.

Well, Stanley's fellow senior Josh Young managed just six points.

That's probably not helping either...darn.

I could go on about the bad and ugly from this game forever but don't have the time or strength.

Maybe the proper remedy is to just move on from the struggles to the good.

Saturday, Drake trumped North Dakota 72-63 to take third place in their own tournament.

Young scored a season-high 17 points—that's more like it—while freshman forward Aaron Hawley came off the bench and tied his season-high of 16—the second time the young man has stepped up in a game.

A glaring similarity between this contest and the Bulldogs' previous was yet another scoring drought, this time of eight minutes 50 seconds.

Obviously, shooting and scoring are problems that the Bulldogs need to address—along with the defense.

One thing is for sure: If Josh Young performs, so do the Bulldogs.

It's hard to continually look for that step-up performance when the team's leader is struggling—especially on this youthful, inexperienced squad.

Hopefully, Coach Phelps and his crew get things figured out in a hurry—conference play is looming nearer.

The Bulldogs' tough Missouri Valley Conference foes will make them their chew toys if they can't find some answers.

For the second year in a row, ESPN.com ranked the Drake Bulldog's basketball recruiting class of 2010 the best in the Missouri Valley Conference.

According to Scouts Inc., which compiled a list of the best recruiting classes for each NCAA Division I conference in conjunction with ESPN, the future appears bright for Bulldog basketball.

According to ESPN's article, Drake's three recruits of the early fall signing period—PG Karl Madison, SF Jeremy Jeffers and SF Rayvonte Rice—give the Bulldogs a combination of perimeter size, strength and skill. The class can "hit the three or score through contact on physical drives."

ESPN named Madison the Bulldogs' top incoming player stating: "Madison is a true point guard and a leader on the floor. He can play fast or slow, and takes great care of the ball. He can knock down the open three and find the open man when he draws a crowd."

Drake Head Coach Mark Phelps said in a press release that the ranking and attention for Drake "bodes well for the future of the program."

"This is great news that people are recognizing the fact that we're bringing in good players," Phelps said.

In the meantime, the Bulldogs need to focus on the present rather than the future as they open a very sweepable four-game home stretch. Drake will host Southern Illinois University Edwardsville December 4th in the first round of the Drake Hy-Vee Classic.

The MVC's top recruiting class of 2009 has thus far provided glimpses of its potential.

Leading the way for the freshmen is F Ben Simmons—second on the team with 12 points per game—and C Seth Van Deest—second on the team with 4.7 rebounds per game.

Nevertheless, more was expected of Drake and its new talent than a 2-4 record in November, but an upcoming easier schedule could help.

Games against SIU-Edwardsville, North Dakota or Texas-Arlington (depending on outcome), South Dakota and Binghamton could realistically amount to four wins and put Drake at 6-4, kick-starting them into a Big Four contest at Iowa—also a very winnable game that would give the Bulldogs a needed confidence boost.

It didn't matter that Josh Young—who had suffered a hip pointer in practice last week—was healthy. Young was held to 11 points as the Drake Bulldogs fell to the faster, stronger Iowa State Cyclones 90-70.

The Cyclones made the 40-minute field trip from Ames to Des Moines to arrive at a Knapp Center half-filled with friendly colors of cardinal and gold.

Iowa State easily improved to 3-0 after leading by 19 at the break and never letting go of a double-digit margin after that.

Young drew first blood with a jumper, but that was about all the Drake faithful had to cheer for as Cyclones' guard Lucca Steiger soon silenced cheers with a three-pointer—of which Steiger gave the Bulldogs their fill.

Steiger would go on to score a career-high 32 points on 10-of-16 shooting beyond the arc.

Freshman Ben Simmons led the Bulldogs with 24 points, hitting four of six three-point attempts.

The Bulldogs hit 45.5 percent of three-point attempts but Iowa State had answers and then some for every shot.

As a team, Iowa State shot 60.9 percent from three-point range and 56.3 percent overall.

Stopping the opponent's big men proved to be a problem once again in Drake's second outing, as preseason All-Big 12 forward Craig Brackens recorded a double-double with 22 points and ten rebounds.

Iowa State will ride home pleased with the revenge it served Drake. The Bulldogs won the previous match-up in Des Moines 79-44. It was the Cyclones' worse loss ever to Drake.

As is the recurring trend nowadays, the Bulldogs were out-rebounded 39-21.

Whether Young was not 100 percent or the Cyclones really are 20 points better than the Bulldogs, Drake has a lot to figure out before traveling to Orlando this weekend to finish up the Glen Wilkes Classic.

Drake will compete against Georgia State at 12:30 p.m. Friday, Akron at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, and Central Florida at 2:30 p.m. Sunday.

You might be wondering why this particular picture graces the top of this article.

It might bring back memories of a boycotted Olympics, back when the U.S.S.R. had missiles pointed directly at the largest city near you.

For followers of Morehead State University, it may even bring back a college basketball memory; 1984 was the last year that the Eagles clawed their way into the NCAA tournament.

Shocking UT-Martin, Austin Peay, and the rest of the Ohio Valley Conference, Morehead State will dance with the big boys for the first time in a quarter-century.

Though only a few qualifiers have been decided, I wanted to take a brief look at the schools that are in so far and their probable seeding. When you only get "40 minutes of fame" every 25 years, it can't hurt to have your name mentioned as often as possible.

1. Morehead State Eagles (19-15, 12-6 Ohio Valley)

The Eagles beat two of the OVC's best in UT-Martin and Austin Peay after taking care of Eastern Kentucky in the first round. Their almost-certain reward? A matchup with a No. 1 seed, and they will be fortunate if they don't have to deal with a play-in game in Dayton first.

Not only has Morehead State been locked out since 1984, they have only been to the NCAA Tournament once since the 1950s, in 1983. That year, as a No. 11 seed, they were taken out by the Orangemen of Syracuse 74-59, back when the Orange were still men.

In 1984, their seed was a No. 12, and the tournament worked a bit differently.  There were four "play-in" games that resulted in a 48-team field. Morehead St. won the play-in game by defeating Greensboro's North Carolina A&T in a 70-69 thriller.

They then faced the No. 5 seed Louisville Cardinals and lost 72-59. So, how off could I be if I predict that they draw a Big East No. 1 seed and score 59 points against them?

MSU's motto is Lux (Latin for light), but the light at the end of their NCAA tunnel is likely to be an oncoming freight train. There is one little bragging point for this Kentucky team located near Lexington. They are now the most likely "Big Blue" to be dancing this year.

Projected Seed: No. 16, Play-in game

2. Cornell Big Red (21-9, 11-3 Ivy League)

As one of the few remaining conferences without a season-ending tournament, Cornell earned their bid by winning the Ivy League regular season title. Until last year, they too had not been to the NCAA tournament in over 20 years, last seeing the Big Dance in 1988 and 2008.

Their first dance partner was an unkind No. 1 seed, Arizona, who crushed (chewed?) the Red 90-50. By 1988, there was a 64-team field, so no play-in game was necessary.

Last year, it was another Pac-10 team, Stanford, that dropped the hammer and spit out the Big Red.

Like Morehead St., Cornell's only other NCAA appearance came during the 1950s.

Cornell shouldn't have it quite as bad as Morehead St. in terms of seeding, though they are unlikely to inspire the fear that past Ivy League champions Princeton and Penn have throughout much of the last 20 years.

The Big Red actually played an extraordinarly challenging non-conference slate and notched a couple of mildly impressive wins over La Salle and Boston University.

Still, if you're looking to find that rare No. 15 to take out a No. 2, I advise continuing to scan the bracket, as Cornell was drilled by every quality opponent they faced.

Projected Seed: No. 15

3. East Tennessee State Buccaneers (23-10, 14-6 Atlantic Sun)

"Eagles, and Buccaneers, and Big Red, oh my!" just doesn't seem to have the right ring to it, but here we are. ETSU is the most dangerous of the teams listed thus far, having taken out Belmont and Jacksonville on their way to the Atlantic Sun championship.

The Bucs last danced in both 2003 and 2004, losing thrillers to Wake Forest 76-73 and Cincinnati 80-77, respectively. Their greatest tournament moment came in 1992, when they shocked No. 3 seed Arizona before falling by just 12 to a Michigan Wolverines squad that made it to the National Championship game.

ETSU is never an easy out, and the 2009 version has more raw talent than the 2004 team. The duo of F Kevin Tiggs and sharpshooting G Mike Smith may very well cause a giant headache for an unsuspecting No. 2 or No. 3 seed.

Projected Seed: No. 15

4. Chattanooga Mocs (19-16, 11-9 Southern Conference)

This one is a double-shocker. This was supposed to be "Davidson's Conference."

First, Davidson got knocked off by College of Charleston, sending Stephen Curry to the NIT, barring a drug-induced pick by the Selection Committee. Then, in almost equally shocking fashion, the Mocs knocked off Charleston to secure their second bid of the decade (the last was in 2005).

Keep in mind that this is a team that had lost its last three regular season SoCon games, including one to Charleston at home, giving up an average of 87 points in the process.

The Mocs barely escaped the first round of the SoCon Tourney, beating Elon by just one, but now they have landed in the NCAAs.

Many aficionados still remember the stunners pulled off by Chattanooga in the 1997 tournament.  They took out Tubby Smith's No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs and sent No. 6 seed Illinois packing, though Lon Kruger's hair did not move in the loss. When faced with a far lower seed in the Sweet 16, the Mocs lost a close one to Pete Gillen's No. 10 Providence Friars.

This year's team bears little resemblance to the 1997 squad that scored Chattanooga's only NCAA tournament wins in history outside of a 1982 victory over Jim Valvano's N.C. State Wolfpack.

That's quite a lineup of coaches they've taken out over the years, but the Mocs are an almost certain No. 16 seed unless the lower-tier conference upsets continue.

They can thank a home win over Niagara for avoiding the play-in game. A loss at ETSU may actually be important in seeding this team, as they will almost certainly be within one seed line of the Bucs. I don't know if it makes them feel any better, but they may very well be the best of the No. 16 seeds.

Projected Seed: No. 16

5. Northern Iowa Panthers (23-10, 14-4 Missouri Valley Conference)

Northern Iowa surprised many of the preseason prognosticators by taking a share of the regular-season title and winning the MVC Tourney.

The Panthers missed a golden opportunity to improve their seeding when they lost a close game at Siena (part of a devastating three-game losing streak in late February), but still should fare decently and present some significant challenges in a first-round game.

UNI is no stranger to the NCAA tournament in this decade, making the field (and losing in the first round) in three consecutive seasons (2004-2006). Their highest seed in that span was a No. 10 in 2006, when Georgetown fought them off. Oddly enough, in each of their three appearances this decade, they have lost the game by five points.

In their only NCAA tournament win, the No. 14 seeded Panthers shocked Missouri by three in 1990 before losing (by three, of course) to Minnesota. The numerologists should have a field day with this team.

An early-season home win over Auburn and a road win over Creighton pads their resume, but some bracketologists are being overly optimistic when projecting this team as a No. 12 seed.

Projected Seed: No. 13

6. Radford Highlanders (21-11, 15-3 Big South)

This is also not much of a surprise, as Radford dominated the regular season in one of the weakest conferences in the nation. Only VMI was expected to pose a challenge with their high-octane offense, and the title game didn't disappoint. Radford outran VMI and won 108-94.

The reward will be a certain meeting with a No. 1 seed, and Radford may become a fashionable choice to be the first No. 16 to beat a No. 1. Although the Highlanders have won 12 of 13 and 17 of 19, I wouldn't drink the Kool-Aid.

Radford was competitive at Virginia early in the year (when the Cavaliers were doing their best impression of a high school team) but were easily handled by every other decent team they faced.

Radford's only previous NCAA bid was in 1998, when they were hammered by No. 1 seed Duke 99-63.

Projected Seed: No. 16

7. Virginia Commonwealth Rams (24-9, 14-4 Colonial Athletic Association)

VCU got it together just in time and hammered George Mason to take the CAA title. This team is all about PG Eric Maynor and will go as far as he can carry them. He has the potential to be "this year's Stephen Curry," but the fact that I will probably hear that at least 50 times in the next two weeks leads me to believe it won't come to fruition.

The Rams managed home wins against the Citadel and New Mexico, though their most impressive road win was at Richmond. They did hang tough at Rhode Island and Vanderbilt, but have been inconsistent late in the season.

VCU lost 81-70 at Oklahoma, so if Maynor is on, the Rams could certainly be a tough out.

The Rams have won an impressive five first-round games since 1981, the most recent being an upset that humbled Duke in 2007. They have never made it to the Sweet 16, though Maynor will make them a trendy pick.

The CAA's relative strength in comparison to other low-major conferences, coupled with VCU's regular season and tournament championships, should result in a decent seed.

Projected Seed: No. 13

Already, even before the NCAA tournament has begun, some great story lines have begun to develop. The next two weeks will only continue to stoke the "Madness" that takes hold of so many this time of year.

[Editor's note: Since the writing of this article, Gonzaga has also qualified by winning the West Coast Conference Tourney. Their projected seed is a No. 4.]

The No. 1 Northern Iowa Panthers (20-10, 14-4 MVC) and the No. 2 Creighton Bluejays (25-6, 14-4 MVC) headline the 2009 Missouri Valley Conference tournament which begins tonight in St. Louis at the Scottrade Center.

(Note: All seedings are for the conference tournament only.)

The No. 8 Drake Bulldogs (17-14, 7-11 MVC) will play the No. 9 Indiana State Sycamores (10-20, 7-11 MVC) in the opening game at 7:05 p.m. ISU and Drake split the season series, with both teams winning on their home courts.

The Bulldogs come in riding a two-game losing streak, while the Sycamores are winners in six of their last seven.

The No. 7 Wichita State Shockers (15-15, 8-10 MVC) play the No. 10 Missouri State Bears (11-19, 3-15 MVC) at 9:35 p.m. The teams split the series, with both teams winning on their home floors.

Wichita took a one-point win, while the Bears handled the Shockers 68-55 for their first conference win back in January. The Bears lost six of seven to end the year, and the Shockers won four of six to close the regular season.

The quarterfinals will begin on Mar. 6.

The top-seeded Northern Iowa Panthers will play the winner of the Drake-Indiana State game at 1:05 p.m. Indiana State won a game in overtime at Northern Iowa and dropped a heart-breaker at home, losing by four.

Drake was able to pick up a 47-46 win at home, but were crushed on the road.

The No. 4 Bradley Braves (17-13, 10-8 MVC) will play the No. 5 Southern Illinois Salukis (13-17, 8-10 MVC) at 3:35 p.m. Both teams won at home in this series, with Bradley winning by 16 and SIU winning by six on their home courts.

Bradley has won four of five, while the Salukis have lost four of six to end the season.

The No. 2 Creighton Bluejays will play the Wichita-Missouri St. winner at 7:05 p.m. Creighton split with Wichita and swept the Bears in the regular season. The Bluejays are winners of 10 straight, including a Bracketbuster win over the George Mason Patriots.

The Jays handed Mason their worst loss of the season, a 76-63 defeat.

The No. 3 Illinois State Redbirds (22-8, 11-7 MVC) play the No. 6 Evansville Aces (17-12, 8-10 MVC) at 9:35 p.m. ISU swept the season series, winning by 2 at Evansville and rolling by 30 at home.

The Redbirds are on a 3-game losing skid and the Aces have won two of three.

The semi-finals will take place starting at 2:35 on Sat. Mar. 7 and the championship game is set for 2 p.m. on Mar. 8.

The MVC could be a two-bid league if Creighton doesn't win the tournament.